Work-supporting fixture



Feb. 4, 1941. .1. SAMMON EFAL WORK-SUPPORTING FIXTURE Filed Sept. 27,1939 3 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 4, 1941. J. SAMMON ETAL WORK-SUPPORTINGFIXTURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 2'7, 1939 INVENTORS JOSEPH JIVMMUA/new a Me 6:15

HUME/F Al ATTORNEYS Feb. 4, 1941. J -$AMMQN ETAL 2,230,310

WORK-SUPPORTING FIXTURE Filed Sept. 27. 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEYSPatented Feb. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES;

@ATENT U E-FETCH WORK- SUPPGRTING FIXTURE Application September 27,1939, Serial No. 296,778

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to work-supporting fixtures that areparticularly adapted for use in vertical or pit type of heat-treatingfurpaces.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a fixture of thischaracter which permits the work to be stacked in many. differentcombinations, and which permits the work to be conveniently removed fromthe furnace either in sections or in one load as desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fixture of the characterindicated which is simple in construction and convenient in use.

The invention is illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the fixture in its preferred form,shown positioned in a vertical or pit type of heat-treating furnace, thefurnace being diagrammatically illustrated by broken lines.

Figs. 2 and 3 are detail sectional views, respectively taken on thelines 22 and 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail view in perspective, partly broken away, of a spacerconstituting a component part of the fixture;

Fig. 5 is a detail view in perspective of a bracket; and

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on theline 6-6 of Fig. 3 and showing in elevation a lifting device which maybe used in lifting the tray from the fixture and a stack rod which maybe used in connection with the tray.

My improved fixture is shown positioned in a common form of vertical orpit type heat-treating furnace having the usual cylindrical shellforming a pit 2, a bottom or base portion 4, and a cover 6, the furnacebeing heated in any suitable manner.

The fixture is provided with a. central hollow stem 8 that is square incross-section. The lower end of the stem is provided with spaced flangesIn between which is held the bottom one of a series of work-supportingshelves or trays I2, the tray being made in sections as hereinafterdescribed to permit it to be positioned between the flanges.

Upon the stem 8 may be positioned a plurality of spacers I4 which arearranged end to end one upon the other with the lower end of thelowermost spacer resting upon the upper one of the flanges I0, thespacers being in sliding engagement with the stem. Each of the spacersis provided with a slot I6 extending longitudinally of each face thereofwith the lower end wall I5 of the slot spaced a distance from the lowerend of the spacer. Each slot I6 is adapted to receive an upright I8 of abracket 20, the upright being inserted into the upper end of the wall ofthe porting members 24 projecting from the sides 1 thereof. An arm orbrace 26 extends from the lower end of the upright I3 to the undersideof the outer end portion of the arm 22, and the inner end of the brace26 has an enlarged portion 28 that is of substantially the same width '1as the arm 22. When the bracket is inserted in a slot I6, it is heldfrom lateral movement by engagement of the sides of the arm 22 andenlarged portion 28 of the brace 26 with the inner edges of spacedguiding flanges 30 that form portions of the walls of the associatedslot.

Each of the trays I2 is made in four sectorsha-ped sections which may bedetachably secured together by bolts 32. As shown, each section may bemade of skeleton form having members 34 arranged in a plane at rightangles to the sides of the square stem 8, the corresponding members 34of adjacent sections being arranged in close proximity.

The inner ends of the members 34 of each section of the bottom tray I2are connected by corner portions 36 which when the sections areassembled between the flanges I0 engage the corners of the stem 8. Thesecorners may be securely clamped to the stem by means of the bolts 32 soas to securely hold the sections in position.

The trays I2 above the bottom tray have the inner ends of the members 34connected by angular portions 38. These portions 38 and the severalsections of each tray, form a square opening through the center of thetray which permits each tray to be slid down over a spacer I4 toposition the tray upon brackets of the underlying spacer.

Each section of each of the trays I2 is provided with spaced arcuatemembers 40 that are connected by radial members 42, the members 42extending a distance outwardly beyond the outer arcuate member 40. Thearcuate members 40 and the radial members 42, and also some of themembers 34 may be provided with apertures 44 for receiving the lowerreduced ends of stack rods 46. The trays are of such form as to permitthe work to be conveniently stacked of the lift rod 52.

thereon and held in position by applying the stack rods in properposition.

The trays l2 that are supported on the brackets 20 are held from lateralmovement thereon by downwardly projecting lugs 48 on each section, thelugs being arranged at opposite sides of the horizontal arm 22 of theunderlying bracket, and adjacent the sides of lateral members 24. Eachof the tray sections is provided with a screw-threaded aperture 50 inwhich the lower end of a lift rod 52 may be screw-threaded.

The walls of the dove-tail slots iii are provided with holes 54 throughwhich pins 56 may be inserted above the upper ends of the bracketuprights If! so as to trap the brackets in the slots.

The work may be conveniently stacked or otherwise positioned on thevarious trays of the fixture, and then the fixture placed in position inthe furnace as shown in Fig. 1, or the several spacers and trays withthe work thereon may be separately placed on the stem.8 while in thefurnace. Owing to the skeleton construction of the trays and the spacingthereof the work is,uniformly subjected to the treating atmosphere ofthe furnace so that uniform results may be secured.

At the completion of the treating operation the entire fixture with thework may be easily removed from the furnace. If it is desired toremovethe trays in quarter sections, thesections are left unbolted and. thelifting of each individual section may be accomplishedby means This isparticularly desirable where different work requires heat-treating fordifferent lengths of time. Also, if it is desired to lift a tray spacerand bracket together, the lock pins 56 may be inserted in the holes soas to trap the brackets 20 as above described, whereupon each entiretray, spacer and brackets may be removed together. Also, if desired thesections of each tray may be secured together by the bolts 32 which alsopermits the several sections to i be removed as a unit, or two or threesections may be secured together.

In case it is desired to space the trays further distances apart, thismay be accomplished by using square spacers between the spacers l4.

It will be apparent that my improved fixture permits of greatflexibility in that it is possible to stack the work in many differentcombinations, and it is also possible to remove the work from thefurnace in sections or in one load, whichever is preferred or necessary.The fixture is of simple and strong construction and convenient in use.

As will be evident to those skilled in the art, my invention permitsvarious modifications without departing from the spirit thereof or thescope of the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. In a work-supporting fixture for use in a heat-treating furnace ofthe class described, a central stem vertically arranged, spacers.surrounding and removably mountedion the! stem one above the other, aplurality of radiallyextending work-supporting brackets spaced. abouteach of said spacers, and .vertically arranged tongue. and grooveconnections between the inner ends of said brackets and the associatedspacers for detachably securing the brackets to the spacers whereby thebrackets may be individually disconnected from their space-rs uponsliding each bracket upwarly on its spacer, and the bracket with thework thereon removed from the furnace.

2. A structurejaccording to claim 1 in which .a work-supporting 1 trayof skeleton form is mounted upon the brackets associated with eachspacer, and each tray is made in sectionsthat are individually supportedupon adjacent brackets.

JOSEPH SAMMON. RALPH E. McGEE.

. HOMER KINCAIDE.

